Education - AZ FREE NEWS

NAU Pledge Master Indicted For Hazing Following Freshman’s Death

Apr 1, 2026

By Staff Reporter | A Northern Arizona University (NAU) fraternity leader faces a felony for the hazing death of a pledge. The Coconino County Attorney’s Office announced the indictment of Carter Thomas Eslick, 20, last Friday. Eslick was the “new member...

Arizona Superintendent Slams Democrats For Rejecting School Mandate To Report Deadly Threats

Mar 30, 2026

By Staff Reporter | The Arizona Department of Education’s leader admonished one party for rejecting a new mandate on schools to report deadly on-campus incidents. Democratic lawmakers opposed HB 4109 during a Wednesday vote in the Senate Education Committee,...

Paradise Valley High School Teacher Commits Suicide During Arrest For Sexual Abuse Of Minor

Mar 29, 2026

By Staff Reporter | A Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) teacher committed suicide while fleeing arrest for the sexual abuse of a minor. Steven Charles Mitten III, a history teacher at Shadow Mountain High School, fled from police on Wednesday...

Arizona Treasurer Pursues New Vendor, Platform Overhaul For ESA Program

Mar 23, 2026

By Staff Reporter | Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee is advocating for reforming the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program to reduce improper spending. The treasurer’s office manages the contract with the vendor operating the portal through which ESA...

Arizona’s Honor Colleges Mandate DEI For Students

Mar 19, 2026

By Staff Reporter | The honor colleges at all three of the state’s universities are mandating courses educating students on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The Goldwater Institute detailed two of the three colleges in a newly released investigatory report,...

Congressman Hamadeh Announces 2026 Congressional Art Competition

Mar 19, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | Congressman Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) announced earlier this month that high school students around the district are invited to submit original artwork for the 2026 Congressional Art Competition. The non-partisan competition, also known as the Artistic...

Hobbs Fired School Choice Advocate From State Board Of Education After Demand From Activist Group

Mar 18, 2026

By Staff Reporter | Gov. Katie Hobbs fired an Arizona State Board of Education (ASBE) member following pressure from a public school activist group, email records revealed. The emails obtained and published by FOIAzona revealed that Hobbs heeded a demand...

America First Legal Investigates Flagstaff School District Over Student Anti-ICE Walkout

Mar 18, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | America First Legal (AFL) has launched an investigation into the Flagstaff Unified School District #1 (FUSD) over its handling of a large-scale student walkout and anti-ICE protest on January 28, 2026. AFL filed a detailed public records request...

Arizona Dept. Of Education Accuses Major Media Outlet Of Misrepresenting ESA Fraud Claims

Mar 16, 2026

By Staff Reporter | The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) accused a major media outlet of misrepresenting the amount of fraud that occurs within the state’s school choice program. Per ADE, 12News claimed the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program had fraud...

Horne Urges Increased Funding For School Safety Program Following Gun Incident

Mar 11, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne called on state lawmakers and the Governor to prioritize additional funding for the School Safety Program (SSP) in the upcoming state budget, citing a disturbing incident last week at Sunland...

AZ Senate Moves Forward With Legislation Strengthening School Safety

Mar 2, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | Arizona Senate Republicans are moving forward with legislation to strengthen school safety and emergency preparedness statewide, advancing a measure to allocate $3.2 million for enhanced communication and coordination during school emergencies. The...

Arizona House Approves Rep. Bliss’ “Protect Girls’ Sports In Arizona Act”

Feb 25, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The Arizona House of Representatives passed HCR 2003, the Protect Girls’ Sports in Arizona Act, on February 23, 2026, in a vote of 32 ayes to 25 nays. Sponsored by Rep. Selina Bliss (R-LD1), the measure now advances to the Arizona Senate. If...